Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review an advanced copy of this novel.

A story about love, addiction, revenge. A like able main character who can’t seem to catch a break. Some of the twists and turns were a little unbelievable, but overall an enjoyable read

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Astrid, an alcoholic moved in with her mother and is making a new start with her life. She struggles with the drinking and attends AA where she meets others who struggle.
Then someone sends her notes and bottles of alcohol.... someone knows her mistake...
Who is stalking her? Why?

Maybe I wasn’t in the right frame of mind right now to read this. It’s dark, it’s depressing but likely some truth in a young woman’s struggle with her recovery from alcoholism. It’s dubbed a psychological suspense, but I found it slow moving and finally at 25% I just wasn’t interested or engaged enough to continue.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Astrid Phelps went to rehab for her alcoholism. When she got out of rehab, her mother let her come to live with her under the condition that she attend AA meetings which she does. Astrid begins to smell her ex-boyfriend Simon's aftershave even though he is dead. Astrid becomes very paranoid especially after she starts to get strange things in the mail. This was a quick easy read but not one of my favorites. I did not like Astrid and her paranoia got to be a little too much at times. I did think the book does a good job dealing with alcohol addiction and the problems associated with an alcoholic trying to stay sober. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley.com for the ARC in exchange for a review.

I finished this book in one day. This was a great thriller with several twists and turns that were unexpected. The descriptions of the main characters battle with alcoholism and recovery were intense and very realistic. I almost felt myself craving for the drink.

I loved the descriptions of the scenery of a small seaside town in England...it added to the overall mood of the story.

Highly recommend for fans of page turning thrillers.

I liked the main story line--recovering alcoholic being haunted by something from her past---but, the execution could have been better. Astrid, the protagonist, is not a very likeable person so I found it hard to muddle through the entire book. I would still recommend because others may not mind the predictable parts of the book and will just want to find out--just who is it that is terrorizing Astrid and what does she deserve it.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

There is nothing more refreshing than a thoughtful, tense, thrilling mystery. Who Did You Tell? delivers in spades.
The book is a first person narrative about Astrid Phelps. She's made some really big mistakes and lost someone very close to her while in the throws of alcoholism. She moves back in with her sweet mum and focuses on getting better, but she finds out that this small town has some visitors with malicious intent towards her. They know something about her past, a dark secret.
Lesley Kara is an absolute gem of a writer. Her style is absolute perfection and the way she tells the story, you are slowly roped in until you can't put the book down.
I really enjoyed the recovering alcoholic storyline. It's told very realistic. The characters and the situations were easy to understand and feel on some level.
I found a bit of the story predictable, but I don't think the early discovery is that bad. If anything it compels me, the reader, to find out more about the situation, people, and how they all come together.
The ending is fantastic and rewarding. Even though a part was a little predictable, there were a few twists I didn't see coming.
The layers in this book regarding addiction and the spiral effects around people make this so much more thoughtful than the surface.
I REALLY enjoyed this one and would recommend to friends

Astrid is living with her mother after completing a stint in rehab when she begins to feel like someone is watching her. She begins to smell the aftershave of her former boyfriend Simon who was also an alcoholic. I enjoyed this thriller, and would definitely recommend it to others.

Astrid is a recovering alcoholic who has returned to her mother's home in a small seaside town to try to make a new start after her boyfriends's death. Her struggles with temptation and her relationship with her mother are well described, and we root for Astrid when she meets and falls for a new man. She is haunted by what she suspects are terrible misdeeds from her past and terrorized by a stalker who seems to know her secrets. This is all fine, except that these "self-doubting woman protagonist not knowing whom to trust" novels only really work if the reader is just as baffled as the main character. With this novel, despite the good pace and sense of danger, the suspense was lacking, because it became clear fairly early on who the bad guy had to be. Once you realize this, you can't unthink it, and every successive chapter just serves as further confirmation.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital advance review copy.

Who Did You Tell is a story about a woman who has moved to a new place, and her past (including a dead ex) seems to follow her. They may even be murder involved. For the most part, I liked it. Who Did You Tell is an easy read. I found myself interested in the story. Not obsessed, but generally interested. I'd say 3/5 stars only because it was a little predictable. But overall, good.

Who Did You Tell publishes 6.16.2020.

3/5 Stars

Who Did You Tell by Lesley Kara is the story of a young woman, Astrid, who is trying to stay sober. She moved in with her mother after rehab. Astrid is trying to forget her past and move forward to a clean life but it isn't easy especially when she begins to see images from her past. Images of people she thought were dead. Trust issues soon arise. A mystery and whodunit that is surprising at the end.

Quickly I realized this book was not for me. I couldn't relate to any of the characters so I DNF at 30%. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my review. Just wasn't for me.

Who Did You Tell? By Lesley Kara is an emotional mystery that takes place in a sleepy seaside town. Main character, Astrid, aka Hilary, is an alcoholic. She’s been an alcoholic since she was a teenager, now 192 days sober, it’s time to make some changes for the better.. After rehab, she moves back in with her mother, started going to AA meetings, making some real friends, and trying desperately to move on from the pain and secrets of her past. As Astrid tries to deal with everyday life, while staying sober, she realizes it’s not alway easy, especially when she feels she is being haunted by her past. Someone knows what Astrid did, and they are not going to stop until she pays for everything she did, and everything they lost.

One of the main themes throughout this novel is fear, and Astrid’s fear of her past coming beck to her. She desperately tries to hide her secrets from her new love, Josh, and ties to hide altogether from AA member, Rosie, who tries to befriend Astrid but she refuses. Astrid does find a friendship with another AA member, Helen. They seem to have a lot in common, and Astrid is comfortable enough to open up about her demons. Helen offers a sympathetic ear Astrid desperately craves. Astrid’s mum is such a likable character, she is trying so hard to help her daughter and support her, but Astrid doesn’t always treat her as nice as she should. I wasn’t really a fan of Astrid’s character, but if I sat back and looked at her life as a whole, and not just the here and now, you do understand the depths of addiction and the difficulty she has dealing with her guilt of the events that unfold with her ex-boyfriend Simon.

I enjoyed this book, it seemed to move a little slow at times, and the ending has so many twists it’s difficult to keep up. But overall, the ending does come together for Astrid and you can see where her relationship with the characters is headed.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Astrid is trying very hard to remain sober. After hitting bottom and following a stay in rehab for alcohol addiction, she is living with her mother in a small town in England. She attends AA meetings, but doesn't believe they will help. Every hour of each day is a struggle for her.

Making it worse, Astrid is convinced someone is following her and means her harm. She is trying to leave her past behind her, but someone won't let her.

Who Did You Tell? is an entertaining read, and the author depicts the struggles of alcoholics well. It failed to grab me though; I never felt for the characters and while a lot of time was spent on Astrid's fears, not a lot was actually happening.

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions stated here are my own.

Who Did You Tell? by Lesley Kara is a combo: mystery/thriller and grief/recovery guide. The main character, Astrid, has moved home with her (helicopter) mother and is trying not to drink, being sober for over six months. And it’s a struggle: as she puts it, “If I have to come home and sit in this dreary little cottage night after night without drinking, my head will explode.” She’s going to 12-step meetings, but isn’t really working the steps. She doesn’t believe in God, so she’s stuck at that second step, the one about the Higher Power. And she’s mourning the loss of her boyfriend Simon.

Her grief is over the death of her boyfriend Simon, who was her addiction partner. They were a mess: broke, drunk, and so desperate for money she vaguely recalls them robbing a mother out walking her toddler. The Simon got sober, got a new job and a new relationship. After a chance encounter with Astrid, all his hard work was gone. He started drinking again, and within a few weeks, he was dead.

At her 12-step meetings, she meets interesting people, and then one day, she meets Josh, and begins a new relationship of her own. She begins to feel like she is being stalked, and gets VERY edgy and paranoid…but maybe it’s justified? She keeps feeling pulled back her self-destructive ways.

So, this is pretty good as a mystery/thriller. And while it’s a good telling of a woman trying to live better , it is HEAVILY focused on the specifics of the struggle to recover from addiction. If the author isn’t a member of any 12-step program, she has a great imagination. If she is, I wonder if she is violating the whole anonymity thing with the level of detail she provides. Maybe that only applies to revealing specifics about actual people, and not the ins and outs (or ups and downs) of fictional characters. In any case, for me this worked better as a suspenseful novel than a grief/recovery guide, but it’s well plotted with characters whose struggles are well told. Thanks to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my review. Four stars.

A gripping and emotional story of recovery and regret. Astrid has returned home after a stay in a rehab clinic for alcohol abuse. Every day is a battle for sobriety, for not disappointing her mother, for trying to be a good person. While walking on the beach, she strikes up a conversation with a stranger who turns out to be not only handsome, but an overall good guy. It's been so long since Astrid has been with a "good" guy that she's scared to ruin it all by confessing her addiction to alcohol. Small lies begin to build up as their relationship grows and she's offered the chance to revive her art career by painting at his father's new home. But as Astrid's life seems to be more on-track than ever, someone discovers her dark secrets and threatens to ruin it all. Astrid is haunted everyday by her ex- boyfriend's death and the destruction she caused while drunk. As Astrid becomes convinced that her life may be in danger, she discovers that not all secrets can remain buried.
Incredibly fast paced, Who Did You Tell is a haunting thriller that will stay with you long after the story is finished. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Astrid is a complex character that I felt both sympathetic and angry towards. Her past is full of horrible mistakes and hurting those around her but so much of that was fueled by her addiction to alcohol. Sober, she is trying so hard to not disappoint others that she's unable to ask for help when she needs it most. Her growth throughout the book felt genuine and the interactions between all the characters felt so real.
I really enjoyed this title and I look forward to more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title, all opinions and mistakes are my own.

I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is about the recovery process from alcohol addiction. It grabs you in the beginning and takes you through the AA process . If that is new to you it is very informative and you feel the pain of those involved in the process. The story begins when a young woman moves back home with her mother because she has nowhere else to go but her mother insists that she get help and tries to help her through the process. It deals with the daily demons and other people’s reaction to the addict. As the story weaves along it quickly gains your attention as Astrid fears someone is stalking her and does not know who to trust. The characters are well described and you feel like they are people you actually know. The mystery just gets deeper and deeper and I did not see the ending coming. I like that in a book. I usually would not choose a book like this but am glad I did.

Leslie Kara has done a great job in capturing the mindset of a recovering alcoholic. Astrid has returned home to live with her mom after rehab. She’s going to AA, making amends, working on the 12 Steps. But she’s also hiding a secret. And someone appears to be stalking her.
Astrid felt so real to me. She hasn’t quite come to terms with her alcoholism. She’s afraid to tell her new beau and tells lie after lie to cover up her secret. Her constant battle with her addiction just felt spot on. The secondary characters also felt very three dimensional, especially her new friend, Helen, her mother, even determined Rosie, who so wants to be her sponsor.
This isn’t a fast paced book, but it has a great sense of tension to it. Questions concerning not just what Astrid did, but who is seeking revenge and most importantly, can she resist falling back into drinking. There are several plot twists I didn’t see coming. And it was just a great ending!
I haven’t read Ms. Kara’s first book, but after this one, I intend to check it out.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

After leaving alcohol rehab in London, Astrid Phelps relocates to her mother’s home in the small seaside town of Flinstead. Astrid begins to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and attempts to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, even though her urge to drink is still very strong. Astrid is haunted by memories from her drunken past, including the death of her boyfriend Simon. Soon after moving to Flinstead, Astrid begins to smell Simon’s cologne and often feels his presence. Her feelings of guilt over Simon’s death coupled with her mounting paranoia, keep Astrid in a state of constant unease. Her social circle remains very small (a few acquaintances at her AA meetings, a possible romantic interest, and her mother) but she has hope that she can start over and have a good life. Before long, Astrid concludes that someone knows the secrets she is desperately trying to hide and her paranoia increases. Is someone really lurking in the shadows, ready to expose her secrets or are demons in Astrid’s mind causing her imagination to spiral? This psychological thriller keeps the reader guessing until the final pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC.
What an incredibly tough subject to not only read but write about.
I absolutely wanted the main character to overcome this awful addiction and come out on the other side whole.
Without giving anything away this author truly threw me a curveball towards the ending.
I definitely would recommend this book and cannot wait to find more by this author.